When Obama’s first Oval Office address didn’t live up to media expectations, the criticism from the conservatives and progressives was harsh and swift. The media wanted more specifics, and when they didn’t get it, their cynicism of politics and politicians was deafening and it overpowered their objectivity.
“Talking heads” on MSNBC complained that the President didn’t present a detailed outline of his energy legislature in the time allotted him by the networks. According to Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod on MSNBC “Morning Joe Show,” “the speech was not intended to layout a legislative strategy.”
Obama critics had their own idea of what he “should have” said in the speech and dissected what he did say based on their bias of the issues.
MSNBC Chris Matthews' criticism was that of skepticism. He wanted the President to be specific about how the Administration was going to legally force BP to create a $20 billion escrow account to compensate victims of the disaster, and where did Obama get the information that “90%” of the oil would be contained in days. Matthews simply needs to take a “wait and see” posture rather than offering blanketed criticism of the President’s speech.
[UPDATE] Obama: BP agrees to $20B fund; chairman apologizes
WASHINGTON – After intense negotiations, BP on Thursday bowed to President Barack Obama's demand for a $20 billion fund to compensate victims of the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Matthews took it further Tuesday night and got personal when he complained that Obama should not keep giving Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu credit for having a Nobel Prize for Physics because he hasn't come up with a plan to stop the spill. Does Matthews see his opinion superior to that of Secretary Chu’s knowledge and expertise?
Newsweek Washington Bureau Chief and NBC Analysts Howard Fineman criticzed Obama on MSNBC “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” for not having a “fingertip feel” for what is happening in the Gulf. Maybe Mr. Fineman should go down to the Gulf and put his fingers in the oil so he can have a “fingertip feel” for what is happening down there. Isn’t that what a journalist does?
Keith Olbermann complained the President “shot low” and didn’t promote his own energy bill. At 8:00 p.m. in most Americans’ homes, families are finishing dinner, parents are bathing the little ones and making sure homework is done. The President doesn’t have their undivided attention to layout a comprehensive strategy for his energy agenda. The American people want to be respectful and listen to what the President has to say, but they want him to do it in a timely manner.
HuffingtonPost’s headline read: “Junk Shot.” CNN pundits added their critical analysis of the speech, and it’s not a surprising to anyone that Fox News would have vicious criticism of Obama.
Not all of the media commentators and pundits had a negative opinion about the President’s speech. MSNBC Joe Scarborough, a consistent critic of Obama, said the criticism of the speech was “harsh.” Presidential Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin was impressed with the speech and felt he accomplished what he wanted to convey to the American people. Donny Deutsch and MSNBC “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski thought the speech was “excellent” and Mika, in rare form, vigorously defended the substance of the speech and criticized the critics.
There is a disconnect between the media and the American people, and there is growing anger at the media for its overall coverage of the news in general, and the public has always questioned the media’s motive in the way it decides what is newsworthy.
Angela Easterwood of Virginia listened to the President’s speech and immediately turned away before the pundits could offer their analyses. She said, “I listened to my President and then turned the channel after he was done because I didn’t want to hear anything from those damn pundits!” Valentina Ceasar of Georgia listened to the speech and a little bit of the commentary before she became disgusted by the media criticism. She didn’t understand why they were criticizing the President.
BP handed the media the most dramatic news story since 9/11. The Deepwater Gulf Oil Spill disaster has a story lifeline of years. However, the American people know the media has a short attention span. Repetitive stories of people wanting to reclaim their lives and heart-breaking images of oil soaked beaches, birds, and marshes is not sufficient concentration for the media.
BP is the villain in this saga and the people and wildlife of the gulf are the victims, and Barack Obama is the media's protagonist, which is the central character in a story. The media wants Obama angry, emotional, frustrated, and out-of-control because that’s a more compelling image and storyline to write about.
But Obama is not cooperating. He's his own man, and he rejects the media attempts to overrule how he should govern, what he should say, and how he should say it. He has “disdain for the media” as MSNBC Chuck Todd has claimed, and most Americans feel his contempt is rightly justified.
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Comments
It is outrageous that those in the media feel that the President of the United States should do and say what they think he should say, and feel. How disappointing that our country, and the media and other pundits, take as their sport attacking our President on a daily basis and tearing him down, rather than attacking the crises we face. Was this country to put the full force of a united country into the crises we face, we would be much better off. Instead, the media, and others, continue day after nauseating day to tear our President to shreds for not performing like their puppet. We all know who the commander in chief of this country is, the media seems to miss that point on a daily basis. Funny, too, how the media and other pundits always put the cart before the horse. And how hilarious these people are to think for one minute that they are more intelligent than our President. They listen more and pay attention more to their own noise than they do to what our President is actu
You left ... and Over the Top out of your headline.
Once again, we're left with a situation where, depending on what television network people watched, they are left with different opinions as to what they saw. The media is taking more and more responsibility for interpreting events for us, and as they do so, we enter a never-ending cycle where people only get their opinions reinforced, not challenged.
Everyone who treats politics as bloodsport and caters to viewers rather than an honest telling of facts is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Whether it's Glenn Beck calling the president a socialist or Keith Olbermann's seeming anger that he's not, we need to turn them all off and make up our OWN minds.
Instead of listening to THEM, let's talk to EACH OTHER.
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